Few disagree we need business regulations to protect the rights of workers and consumers, ensure markets operate fairly and set standards for a whole host of industries. However, one thing some business owners get frustrated about is the amount of regulation they have to comply with. It's not just that we over-regulate, they also complain that we're slow to regulate too, causing unnecessary and expensive delays. Evan Davis explores the nature of the regulatory landscape in the UK and assesses whether we fairly weigh up the costs and benefits.

Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams & Nick Holland Sounds: Neil Churchill and Rod Farquhar Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Sam Bonham

Guests: John Fingleton: CEO of Fingleton Consultancy Polly Dhaliwal: COO of Enterprise Nation David Buttress: Co-Founder of Just Eat

A laptop, reliable wifi and a visa, the formula that has allowed millions to work from almost anywhere in the world. It’s a lifestyle that promises freedom and flexibility: one month in Lisbon, the next in Bali. But after years of countries competing to attract digital nomads, with special visas and tax breaks, some destinations are rethinking the welcome mat. As governments tighten requirements and scrutinise remote workers more closely, Evan Davis and guests examine the economics of life on the move and consider whether the lifestyle really delivers on its promise.

Guests: Christa Romano, founder of Digital Nomad Life Academy; Diego Bejarano Gerke, CEO and founder of Wifi Tribe; Emily Bratt, journalist and brand communications consultant; and Dave Cook, anthropologist at University College London.

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Nick Holland and Sally Abrahams Sound engineers: Dave O’Neill and James Beard Editor: Sam Bonham

Whether it’s McDonald’s and Cadbury or H&M and Karl Lagerfeld, brand collaborations are booming. From food to fashion, homeware to movies, why are partnerships having such a moment and what makes some 'collabs' succeed while others fail? Evan Davis and his guests explore the deals, the strategies and the creative thinking that turn collaborations into commercial successes. They also consider the consequences of what happens when things don't go to plan?

Guests: Karen O’Rourke, Managing Director, H&M, UK and Ireland Gill Williams, head of partnerships, tpf Rita Clifton, branding expert, former London CEO, Interbrand

Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Nick Holland and Sally Abrahams Sound engineers: James Breard and Andy Garratt Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Sam Bonham

What does it take to drill oil out of the ground and then refine it into petrol, jet fuel or other petrochemical products? The world currently uses about a hundred million barrels of oil a day. However, the daily flow has been affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the global supply normally passes through the waterway in tanker ships, but it's been blocked since the end of February 2026. How has the industry adapted?

Guests: Nick Bone, Fuels Industry UK Luke Johnson, Director of OPC Edward Hayden-Briffet from Onyx Capital

Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Sally Abrahams & Nick Holland Sound: Dave O'Neill & James Piper Production Coordinator: Katie Morrisson Editor: Sam Bonham

The 2026 London Marathon saw new world record times set in both the men's and women's events. Eyes weren't just on the winning athletes but also on the Adidas trainers they were wearing. So what goes into designing and making a pair of trainers and why have some of them become so expensive to buy? Global sales for trainers are in the tens of billions of dollars with hundreds of new styles being produced every year. How does the industry keep up with demand and stay on trend? Giant companies like Nike and Adidas, who dominated the industry for decades, can no longer take anything for granted. Newer brands like On and Hoka have managed to break through and are shaking things up. How have they managed to do it? Evan Davis gets some insights and answers from people who work in the industry.

Guests: Tony Evans: Managing Director of Jacobson Group Tom Astrella: Co-founder The Footsoldiers Wayne Edy: Founder and CEO of Inov8

Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams & Nick Holland Sounds: Dave O'Neill and Frank McWeeny Editor: Sam Bonham

Evan is joined by a panel of top entrepreneurs to answer your listener questions.

How do you make your business stand out in a crowded market? Where can you find the information you need to start your own business? Why don't we hear about the failures along the way to success? And how do you know which risks are worth taking?

Evan and his guests answer listeners' questions and discuss the ins and outs of starting your own business, as well as the unique challenges of being an entrepreneur.

Guests: Trinny Woodall, CEO and founder of Trinny London Sarah Willingham, CEO and founder of Nightcap Brent Hoberman, serial entrepreneur and investor

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Jack Graysmark and Dave O'Neill Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

From smartphones to trainers, confectionary and cleaning products, we live in a culture of constant updates. Companies reformulate, redesign and refresh their products in a continuous race to stay ahead. But how are those decisions made? What counts as meaningful improvement and how much is designed to make last year’s version feel old? Evan Davis and guests discuss how products evolve and why standing still is the fastest way to fall behind.

Guests: Tom Moody, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, P&G (Proctor & Gamble) Northern Europe Dr Garry Moppett, Senior Director of Research & Development at Mars Dave Ward, UK and International Managing Director, Amazon Ring.

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams Sound engineers: Lee Wilson and Donald MacDonald Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Across our professional careers, many of us will come into contact with a difficult colleague or hard-to-please superior. But what happens when difficult behaviour crosses over into bullying at work? What effect does this have, not only on our wellbeing, but on our workplace as a whole?

Evidence suggests that bullying may be on the rise in the UK. A 2025 survey of British workers conducted by ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) found that 44% of respondents had experienced conflict at work in the last 12 months. And on the global stage, the resurgence of ‘strong man’ leadership has reignited a debate: does bullying behaviour get you what you want?

Evan and the panel look at what workplace bullying is, when and why bullying can occur, and the steps individuals and organisations can take to tackle this behaviour in the workplace.

Guests: Jason Warner, Managing Director (UK and EMEA) at SBS Kevin Rowan, Director of Dispute Resolution at ACAS Kara Ng, Senior Lecturer in Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: James Beard and Neil Churchill Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

The UK’s private rental market has grown dramatically over recent decades, creating what often feels like a tale of two nations: ‘Generation Rent’ who are priced out of home ownership and unable to access social housing; and buy-to-let investors who view property as a reliable income stream or pension plan.

Rising rents, poor conditions and fierce competition for homes have fuelled frustration with landlords, prompting political efforts to strengthen protections for tenants and increase tax pressure on property owners.

Now the sector is facing a turning point – with large institutional investors, backed by pension funds, for example, playing an increasing role. Evan Davis and guests discuss the state of the UK rental market and where it might be heading.

Guests: Ashley Winston, Director of Palmdale Car Finders Andy Graham, Host, HMO Podcast Polly Simpson, Head of multi-family development at Savills

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Ben Andrews and Tim Heffer Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

Everyone wants to get the best price they can when they buy, whether that’s a product, a service or an experience. But the ‘best price’ can look different for different people, and at different times.

Surge pricing, tiered prices, off-peak discounts, time-of-use pricing- technology has enabled more industries to employ dynamic pricing to get the best prices for their products by altering them depending on a range of sophisticated considerations.

But this has made pricing less predictable and left customers feeling like the prices are often stacked against them; most notably after the Oasis reunion tour ticket sales in 2024.

Is dynamic pricing really as bad as we all think? Evan and guests look at the psychology behind consumer perceptions of dynamic pricing, and ask how different industries can utilise the pricing model to benefit themselves and their customers.

Guests: Richard Howle, founder of RH Insights Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy for Business Marco Bertini, Professor of Marketing at Esade Business School

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Daniel Fox and Steve Greenwood Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

From headline deals like Vodafone-Three or home builder, Barratt buying rival, Redrow, corporate mergers and takeovers are on the rise. Evan Davis and guests take a fresh look at what happens when companies combine. They discuss why deal-making is growing, why execs turn to M&A, what can go wrong and whether mergers deliver growth or simply disguise deeper problems.

Guests: Vittorio Colao, CEO at Vodafone Group 2008-2018, and now Vice Chairman, EMEA, General Atlantic Pip Hulbert, CCO for International Markets at VML Farshid Azadegan, Director of BEC Distribution

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Russell Newlove and Andy Garratt Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University